Obama announcing $750M in pledges from companies to connect students to high-speed Internet

By The Associated Press
February 04 2014 03:01 AM

CP27069351 — President Barack Obama meets with recipients of the 2013 Fermi Award, scientists Allen Bard, left and Andrew Sessler, in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, Monday, Feb. 3, 2014. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama has secured commitments from U.S. companies worth about $750 million to get more students connected to high-speed Internet.

AT&T, Sprint, Apple and Microsoft are among the companies pitching in. Obama was to announce the commitments Tuesday at a middle school in the Maryland suburbs near Washington.

The Federal Communications Commission plans to devote $2 billion generated from service fees to connecting 20 million students. It’s all part of Obama’s goal to get 99 per cent of American students connected within five years.

The White House says Apple is pledging $100 million in iPads, computers and other tools. AT&T and Sprint are contributing free wireless service. And Microsoft is making Windows available at a discounted price and offering 12 million free copies of Microsoft Office software.

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